Railway signal torpedo



Aug. 5. 1924. 1,504,032 J. w. EDMANDS RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO Filed Oct. 22 1923 Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

i. E T

JOHN WILEY EDMANDS, OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMFANY,

RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RAILWAY SIGNAL 'ronrnno.

Application filed October 22, 1923.

I T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN W. EDMANDs, citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of liIassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes and its primary object is to provide means for closing the ends of the tubular container in such a vmanner as to prevent the explosion from causing any flying parts liable to cause personal injury.

A further object of the invention is to provide the torpedowith a clip located beneath it and adapted to receive and clamp the extended ends of the tubular case whereby all parts liable to fly when the torpedo is exploded are held to the rail thus avoiding personal injury.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clip located against the bottom of a tubular case,the clip receiving and clamping the elongated ends of the case, and the clip provided with means for receiving and holding a rail-fastening strap.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and disclosures.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of my improved railway signal torpedo.

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tube out of which the case is formed.

Figure 4c is a cross section View of the tube.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the ends of the case doubled to! enter the holding clip.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the holding clip.

Figure 7 is a plan View of the holding clip With the rail engaging strap held thereto.

Figure 8 is an end view showing the method of attaching the torpedo to the clip and the strap in position on the clip.

In constructing my improved torpedo the case 1 is formed from a section of a tube, the tube being composed of suitable fibrous material. Located under the tube is a clip or other suitable material.

Serial No. 670,054.

3 which is preferably composed of metal though it may be composed of hard fiber This clip is provided near each end with transverse slits 4 and at its center with a projection 5 which :1

is stamped from the center of the clip. Preferably, though not necessarily, the clip is provided at opposite sides of its center with inwardly extending cutaway portions 6 which provide for movement of the strap 7. The type of strap 7 here shown is the ordinary lead strap, and it is provided with a central opening 8 through which the projection 5 passes, thesaid projection being bent downward as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Preferably this clip is bent upwardly as shown at about the points-9, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

While I have described the use of a lead strap I desire it understood that an ordi nary spring strap could be added to the clip without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The form of explosive we show is a molded tablet 10 but loose if desired.

In constructing the torpedo the explosive 10 is placed within the tube, and is considerably shorter than the tube 1. After the explosive is in position the ends which exi:

tend beyond the explosive are doubled inward as shown at 11 which provides center point portions 12. One of these extended portions 11 is inserted through one of the slots 4 the strap 7 shown in Figure 8 and then the other portion is inserted through the opposite slot. After the torpedo case is applied to the clip, the clip may be mashed down upon the ends 11 though that will to make a hermetically sealed case. The folded end portions 11 may be held in posi tion by the use of an ordinary form of water-proof cement, and the whole torpedo after being constructed coated with a waterproof compound.

It will be observed that with thisform of torpedo the clip portion and the strap, are the only parts capable of flying and causing personal injury. In this construction these parts are located wholly below the case so that the force of the explosion will not tear them'nor make any flying parts, which would be the case if any part of the clip were located above the case. The conpowder-may be used e placed in position as not be necessary in order struction provides an absolutely safe nonflying torpedo construction ant is a construction that is usually sought by the railroads.

The whole torpedo is a simple and cheap one to produce as well as being extremely eflicient and safe in use. In this construction the ends of the clip are entirely enclosed by the extended ends 11 of the case.

I desire it understood that variations in the construction may be made and the object carried out without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

ilaving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improved torpedo Comprising a case having extended ends, a clip below the case having openings passing through it, the extended ends of the case passing through the said openings, and a part of the extended ends restingbetween the case and the said clip.

2. An improved torpedo comprising a tubular case, a clip applied to the bottom of the case, the clip having openings, and the case having extended ends passing through the said openings;

3. An improved case having extended ends, a clip below the case, the extended ends of the case doubled around the clip, and the said clip contorpedo comprising a structed to permit a part of the extended ends to lie between the bottom of the case and the said clip.

I 4:. An improved torpedo comp-rising a tubular case having extended ends, a clip applied to the bottom of the case, the clip having an intermediate projection, a railengagingstrap held in position by the projection, the clip applied to the bottom of the case and its extended ends folded inward around the ends of the clip and means for holding the folded ends in position.

5.- An improved torpedo comprising a.

tubular case having extended ends, a clip applied to the bottom of the torpedo, said clip having a depressed center portion and slots located in the depressed portion, and the extended ends of the case doubled inward and passing through the said slots.-

6. An improved torpedo case having extended ends, of a clip located below the said case and having a depressed central portion, the extended ends of the case bent around the ends of the clip, the clip provided with passages located above the depressed portion to receive a part of the extended ends of the case, whereby a part of the extended ends of the case lie between the clip and the bottom of the case.

In testimony whereof he hereunto aiiixes his signature. I

JOHN WILEY EDMANDS; 

